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When was it invented?! As a poetic form it first appeared in Italy in the late 13th century and was given its classical form by the Italian poet PETRARCH. The common theme of his sonnets was unrequited love. These were love poems addressed to an idealised woman who failed to return the poet's love.…read more

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English Sonnets Brought into English by the Earl of Surrey and Sir Thomas Wyatt. Brilliantly developed by Shakespeare. Widely used by other English poets including: Milton, Wordsworth, Byron, Keats, Donne and Hopkins. Adapted by many modern poets…read more

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Shakespearean (English) Sonnet Form STRUCTURE ­ written as three quatrains (stanzas of four lines) and a concluding couplet. Some writers followed the more classical Italian version. THEME ­ Shakespeare centred on aspects of love, but other English poets extended the sonnet to cover descriptions of nature, inner struggles of the soul, hymns of praise to God and other diverse subjects. RHYTHM ­ Classical and Shakespeare sonnets follow a predominantly IAMBIC rhythm. Iambic rhythms have two syllables, with the accent always on the second syllable, as, for example, in the word "compare". Other sonneteers have adopted much greater rhythmic freedom.…read more

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Analysing a Shakespeare SonnetTaking a closer look What is the sonnet about? Who is it from and who is it to? What can we tell about them?First quatrain: an explanation of the main idea. What is the main idea? Highlight it on your copy of the poem.Second quatrain: the idea is explained further or made more complicated. How is the idea explained or complicated? Make notes on your copy.Third quatrain: volta (a twist or conflict). What is the twist or conflict? Highlight it on your copy.Couplet: summarises and leaves the reader with a conclusion. What is the concluding idea the reader is left with?What kind of images are used?What does the diction contribute to the poem in terms of mood or tone?…read more